December: Prior to registering for the FAFSA, you must secure a PIN. Both student and parent(s) should register for a PIN in December at http://www.pin.ed.gov.

January (after January 1 and before February 1): Students must file the FAFSA after January 1st and before February 1st and submit it to the processing center. This timing will necessitate using estimated tax information.

By January 15 (or date noted by individual colleges): File the CSS PROFILE at schools which require it.

By date indicated on each college’s Web site: Submit supplemental essays or other information, if required, to be considered for merit scholarships.